Is Trump About to Trump the Dems on Immigration?

Angelo Codevilla and, as Paul has noted, Mark Krikorian both express dismay over President Trump’s offer of a path to citizenship for up to 1.8 million illegal immigrants who could be classified as among the “dreamers” (kids brought here by their parents), which is a lot more than the 800,000 or so officially registered DACAns.

They are right on the merits. But I wonder if Trump isn’t calling the bluff of the Democrats about the DACAns. I don’t think Democrats want a deal—or any deal short of complete amnesty for everyone and anyone, which ain’t gonna happen. I’m guessing the Democrats would rather have the issue to run on in November, thinking they can whip up their base and, if they gain a majority of one or both houses of Congress in November, cram what they want down Trump’s throat. Resistance and all that. The last thing they want is for Trump to have a signing ceremony on the White House lawn for an immigration reform that has eluded the last three presidents, and which will necessarily involve compromises that will leave people on both sides unhappy to some extent. (Above all they can’t give Trump the satisfaction over The Wall, even though that would be the sensible thing substantively for Democrats to trade away.) But it would remove the issue for Democrats, and likely boost Trump with some Hispanic voters, where some polls show him actually increasing support from election day 2016. Mickey Kaus thinks along the same lines. (See below.)

I’m hoping the Democrats are this stupid and will stick with this intransigent position, rather than running on the issues where they might actually find more favor from the general public. Meanwhile, Democrats say they are going to have some DACA kids in the gallery for Trump’s upcoming state of the union speech. Some clever person has suggested that Trump mention one of them out by name, note that he’s ready to offer them a path to citizenship, and that they should ask Chuck and Nancy why they are standing in the way of it. Stand back, and watch liberal/media heads explode.